Life Is Like A Song
by MartialFight
Summary: He was all I needed, it was just supposed to be me and him...now as the trial comes to meet us...i can't hold in my anger any longer..
1. Chapter 1

_I woke up to the sound of "Aerosmith"_

"_Ah my favorite thing, music is my life!" I said tiredly. Just then Rin jumped up on my bed, and started to lick my face._

"_Except for you silly pup, I know I know time to go to work!" He jumped down and raced down the hall where I knew he'd be waiting for me to get his leash. Boy that dog loves what he does. I quickly dressed and put on my utility belt. I made sure my gun was on safety and sluggishly moved towards the living room in my cozy little apartment._

Officer Madeline Magily and Rin, that's all there was, he was all I needed. Rin is my best friend and my loya'l partner in fightin' crime. He's a black German Shepherd and we've been together for 4 years, ever since he was a pup. I spent 6 years of my life in the army doing recons and walk abouts, but no action or battles. It's 1993 we didn't have any of that in small town Paxico, Kansas. We needed to start up a canine unit in our police force and for sexist reasons they choose me out of my squadron to be the one. At first I didn't like the idea, but as Rin and I spent more time together, I duly noted that he was the best thing that ever happened to me because I had never had anything that meant something to me in my life. He brought me out of my depression, and emotionlessly led life. After my dad and my sister died life for me was over, there was nothing else to love. That's why I joined the army, I could do boot camp. And now as our trial comes to meet us today, and I walk to the stand, I can barely hold in my anger and sadness any longer. And if you think for one second that a dog can't be anything but happy and go-lucky, you haven't seen my Rin these last 2 days.…..

_I got Rin's leash and clipped it on him, while he danced around waiting for me to grab breakfast and my keys and head to the jail, where our day starts. As we were driving along I glance over at Rin who was staring intently out the side window. I reached over to pat his back, he looked over, his attention on me. And I remember wondering "what goes on in that head of yours dog?" We pulled up shortly because it's a small town so hence short trip. We entered the jail and before I went to my office I walked to over and signed in with the secretary. I went to the locker room to get my taser and to put away any other personal belongings._

"_Hey Maggs what's up?!" yelled Officer Ferrent. Everyone always calls me Maggs because I have the fastest reload and load record in Kansas._

"_Hi." I said quietly as usual. _

"_You ready for another day of fun and games?" He asked sarcastically._

"_Oh yea." I said sarcastically back. Ferrent, another officer named Deloja, and I were the only ones here for the morning and afternoon shift and then later today three more officers will come and switch with us for the night shift and graveyard shift._

"_Come on Rin let's go get some bad guys." I said looking down at Rin who was sitting at my feet patiently._

"_Oh yea those stop sign runners are a killer." Deloja said mockingly, who had just walked in the locker to put his stuff away. Ferrent chuckled. Why did I have to be stuck with the two most sarcastic people on earth? I thought to myself._

"_Whatever you guys see ya' later, come on Rin." He got up and followed right behind me as if he wanted to get away from them too. But Rin's Rin and I knew better, he wanted some action. There was actually more to the job then just traffic stops. Just because it's a small town doesn't mean that we don't have some problems that bigger towns do to, well more or less, just less shooting and death actually. I think we've been fortunate to only have 3 people to have been shot in a drug bust or something police related in the last 23 years. As I said it's a small town, nothing like that would ever be possible on my watch with Rin, we wouldn't let it happen._

_I opened the car door for Rin and after he hopped in I closed the door and went around the other side and got in myself. Normal procedure, normal day, or so I thought._

_School just started so I headed to the school to see that all the kids made it there ok. Because some just happen to still be at their house or some friends house for some strange reason I thought sarcastically. As I walked into the school the familiar smell almost made me walk more upright. Rotten milk and shoe odor. Kids were still milling around the halls because it was 3 minutes until the tardy bell. It was a half day so kids thought it was ok to be tardy I guess._

"_Hey yo!" I shouted above the noise. All was silenced. "All you guys need to head to class now, before I sick this guy on you." I said jokingly. Rin tugged at his leash, as if I meant it._

"_Hey Officer Magily!" said Josh, a kid who had become fond of Rin and now sucked up to me. Geez he's an annoying kid let me tell you._

"_Hi Josh, you staying out of trouble?"_

"_Oh yes ma'am officer ma'am." He stated looking at me longingly to give him permission to pet Rin._

"_Sorry Josh not this time, he's going through special training right now." I lied._

"_Really? I thought he'd be done after 4 years?" He asked looking down at Rin._

"_Yea sorry, you go on and get to class now, I don't want you to be tardy."_

"_Oh all right I'll see you later them, bye Rin!" he said in his baby voice, turned around and walked away._

"_All right as for the rest of you, move it!" I said a bit louder. The kids got it at last and started to walk into nearby classrooms. I waited the last lingering last seconds to hear the tardy bell to go around to the classrooms to find out who was missing. I went to Mr. Emerson's first, he was one out of the two teachers for the sophomore class._

_ "Anyone missing today Mr. Emerson?" I asked politely even though I hated this part of the day, poor Rin's bored to death._

"_Uh nope not today Maddy, everyone's here and counted for, see you tomorrow."_

"_Yea sure I'll be here." I said sarcastically. Where else am I going to be dummy. I hate ignorant people. I guess today was not a good day to be smart with me, I'm to tired. I turned around to leave, Rin rushing out before me._

"_I know buddy" I said as I close the door behind me "sorry we only have 5 more teachers left pup, then we can go and see what we can do about your restlessness ha ha." I chuckled, Rin's the only dog I've ever met that has the closest thing to a human personality that I've ever seen, he makes me laugh all the time. He whimpered, as if on cue._

_I was on my way to the second to last teacher when my radio went off. *buzz buzz*_

"_10-4, Officer Magily here." I stated impatiently into the radio, what now? Nothing big happens in the morning._

"_Maggs I need your help we're having a problem with one of the jail occupants, hurry!" I recognized Ferrent's deep rushed voice. It didn't click that we even had one. I didn't even think._

"_All right I'm on my way." I said tiredly into the receiver. Great today couldn't be one of the nice days where I didn't have to do anything. Ug dumb jail bites, that's what I call them anyway._

"_Sorry boy, we have to do this first then maybe we can go to the park for our break huh? Sound good?" I asked him kneeling down beside him while petting his head. He snorted, or maybe a sneeze?_

_I didn't hurry like Ferrent requested, it's a small town, he can wait, enjoy life listen to music. It's against regulations to listen to music in the squad car, but I didn't care, it helps me get through the day when I'm bored. And it lets me know that the worlds not passin' me by. _

_I pulled up to the jail house again for the second time today too soon for it to be my break._

"_Come on pup, let's go take care of some business." I said smiling at him as he hopped out. I took off his leash, he almost didn't need one, he never leaves my side, no matter what distraction may want him to. He only runs when I tell him to. It was kind of the whole thing where I say "jump" and he asks 'how high" in his mind of course._

_ I walked up the stairs and into the station, Rin at my heels._

_ "Marty what's the problem?" I asked our one and only secretary._

_ "Some man named Brian is making a ruckus in his cell for being framed when he was arrested last night." She stated, as she kept filing._


	2. Chapter 2

_I was guess you could say I was sort of surprised now, an arrest? How come no one had told me, this is pretty big for a small town and hence everyone would've been notified. Must've happened last night on graveyard shift._

_ I walked down the hall leading the stairs, which lead down to our 10 cell block. I approached Ferrent who was sitting at the desk at the bottom of the stairs._

_ "What's happening Officer Ferrent, how come no one told me about the arrest last night?"_

_ "Sorry Maggs, no one told me either. I guess it must've slipped their minds it being three in the morning. I was walking down this way to the janitor's closet when I heard his stomach rumbling."_

_ "Everyone forgot about him?" I said almost laughing._

_ "Yea guess so." He said chuckling._

_ "So what's he here for?"_

_ "DUI, and narcotics found in his truck."_

_ "Oh" was all I could say, that was some serious stuff._

_ "Yea, I wonder why…" he drifted off "ah well, never mind that now. Anyways I was going to fix him something to eat when he just started hollerin' and slamming his fists against his door. Sayin' stuff like "he was framed" and all."_

_ "It's taken this long for him to figure it out?" I asked._

_ "I have no idea." He shook his head smiling._

_ "Hey! I was framed, ya' hear?!" Brian yelled._

_ "Oh yea? What kept you from bringing this up last night?" I said as Ferrent and I walked over to the cell down at the end._

_ "Well… I was drunk.. but I didn't have no drugs, that's the part I was framed for, I couldn't think clearly last night." Brian said._

_ "Is that right? Well who do you think framed ya' buddy?" smirked Ferrent._

_ "I don't know his name, but he's a kid, I met him last night in my neighborhood, said he needed a ride, he must've left the drugs when he got out."_

_ "Is that so? Well I guess we better go find this kid when school gets out. Do you remember where you picked him up?" Ferrent asked._

_ "Yea I think so, I probably would if I got to lookin' around." Just then Rin growled. I looked down at him._

_ "Hey! Be nice ya' old coot." I said at him. "I don't know what's gotten into him, sorry."_

_ "It's all right" said Ferrent, "well we'll head out, when school's over all right Brian? _

"_And until then quit makin' a fuss." I said sternly._

_ "Sounds good" smirked Brian, "Ima' gonna get that kid."_

_ After Brian finally settled down I went back to the school and checked on the second to last teacher. Then after the same answer as the rest of them, I headed to the last teacher for the senior class. I peeked my head in the door._

_ "Hello Ms. Kasper, anyone missin' today?"_

_ "Why yes, Josh has been missin' since this mornin' didn't even show up."_

_What? I thought to myself. Josh is missing? But I saw him, this is weird, he's knows the rules. Even on half days, people always show up._

_ "All right, thank you Ms. Kasper, I'll see you tomorrow."_

_ "All righty hun bye bye now." She smiled. Ug that lady gives me the creeps._

_I headed back to my car Rin leading the way this time, he was in a hurry I guess to finally get this show on the road. Once I got in the car I reached for the radio._

_ "Officer Deloja? Ya' out there?_

_ "I am" he replied out of breath "but I'm the middle of something can I talk to you later?"_

_ "Uh sure.." I said slowly "what's goin' on, if I might ask?"_

_ "Gotta a problem with old Mrs. Mertle." He chuckled uneasily. Mrs. Mertle was the oldest coot you ever did see in these hear parts._

_After I had a good laugh and turned my radio back on I said sarcastically, "All right, I'll get Officer Ferrent, have fun!"_

_ "Yea thanks." He stammered into the radio, and then I heard, "Now you listen here ya' youngin' cracker! I'm tellin' ya' that beaver snuck into my yard last night and stole my shovel! And his squirrel friend was with him! I saw the whole thing!" Mrs. Mertle yelled. And then his radio clicked off._

_ I finished my giggles, and turned on my car to head back down to the station, to pick up Brian. I'll take care of Josh later._

_ Brian piled in my car after deciding that Ferrent was gonna go head down to check on Josh we were gonna' meet up later._

_ "I want to thank ya'll for giving me a second chance, I can't have drugs on my record if they ain't mine." Brian said as we headed towards the neighborhood he described to me._

_ "Yea whatever, Officer Ferrent is a nice guy." I said blankly._

_ "Yea, hey..can you tell your dog to stop staring at me? It's kinda creepin' me out." Brian said wide-eyed. I looked over and saw that Rin was just plainly, if there was one way to describe it, givin' him the death glare._

_ "Hey you," I said to Rin "quit it." He looked over at me with sad eyes, and then glanced back out the window pantin'._

_We pulled up to his house minutes later._

_ "Do you think I can go inside and change real fast?" Brian asked uneasily._

_ "Uh yea sure, make it fast though, and I ain't messin' around neither so hurry." I said point blankly. Small town, what's gonna' happen, I thought to myself._

"_All right, I appreciate it Officer." Brian said as I got out and helped him out of the car and uncuffed him. He walked inside and came back out minutes later wearing a new pair of worn jeans and white t-shirt._

_ "Thanks again." He said. And just then Officer Ferrent pulled up with Josh in the back. They both climbed out and walked up to the house._

_ "That's him!" screamed Brian. We all looked towards Josh who had a confused yet worried look on his face._

_ "Josh?" Stammered Officer Ferrent._

_ "You must be confused old man, I don't have the slightest idea to what you're talkin.'" Josh replied back with a cool voice._

_ "No that's him! I know it's him, he left those drugs! Now take him in and take those narcotics off my record or so help me!" Brian yelled. Rin growled, feeling threatened._

_ "Drugs?! I wound never!" Josh said taken aback. I heard someone scream "help". Officer Ferrent looked at me and I nodded, and he walked off to "help" the other situation at hand. Mrs. Mertle's probably having it out with the hose again. I smiled shakin' my head._

_ "All right let's settle this calmly." I stated straight from the book._

_ "No! you listen here!"Brian shouted at me then pointing at Josh "you tell the truth, you low life cow bass!" he said loudly._

_ "Hey no need to-" I cut off mid-sentence because just then Brian pulled out a LWS gun from his pants belt line, it was as big as his palm. I cursed, he musta gotten it when he went inside._

_ "Whoa! Put the gun down Brian!" I said as I reached for mine._

_ "You touch that gun and ill blow ya' both clear to Kansas City!" Pointing the gun from Josh to me and then back to me shakily. Rin hadn't move all this time, but now he growled and stood up on all fours, in defensive position. Josh dropped to his knees. All of us were sweating. Where is Ferrent and Deloja?_

_ "Please don't kill me!" then looking at me, "I didn't do anything Officer Magily I swear!" Josh cried pitifully._

_ "You're still lying through your teeth boy?! All I did was help you out last night, and you repay me with this?!" Brian yelled angrily._

_ "Ok Ok! I left the drugs in his car, but he was the one to deal them to me!" Josh yelled._

_ "Hey! Let's just talk about this, Josh are you telling me the truth here or are you just-" I cut off again because Josh had gotten up and started to run towards me. And then that's when I heard the second most awful noise I ever heard in my life, a gunshot. Josh fell on me, blood splattering everywhere on my face and body, we fell to the ground. He had been shot in the head. He choked and then he ceased moving, blank eyes stared back at me. I screamed pushing him off of me. I looked up Brian holding up the gun, smoke billowing out of the muzzle._

_ "It wasn't supposed to be like this." He stammered unbelieving, sweat pouring uncontrollably from his face._

_ "What's wrong with you?!" I screamed at him standing up fast but shakily._

_And the next moment…_

"Uh Ms. Magily?" The judge asked. I looked up, tears stung my eyes. I realized I had stopped talked and had zoned off in memory. Everyone was looking at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Oh right sorry." I started again.

_The next moment Rin had sprung into action, seeing me scared for my life and blood all over, the gunshot his go command. He bounded towards Brain._

_ "Rinnn!! Noooo!" I screamed bloody murder._

_And that was the first worst sound I ever heard in my life. Another gun shot, and my Rin fell to the ground a few feet from Brian. My Rin yelped then whimpered and was silent. I looked up at Brian, fire filling my heart. Anger in my eyes as tears ran down my face furiously. His face horrified._

_ "I'm going to kill you, you ruthless son of a-" I screamed as I ran towards him, I felt strong arms pull me back and made us both fall back on the ground._

_ "Drop your gun Brian!" yelled Officer Deloja who stood behind the squad car. Hesitantly Brian slowly did. And Officer Deloja went over and cuffed him. I felt Officer Ferrent sit up and just hold me in his arms tight against his chest, holding my head in his hands. I cried myself to shudders._

_ "It's gonna' be ok Maggs, it's ok." He said over and over again._

_It was supposed to be a small town, nothing happens in a small town, I kept thinking to myself._

"Thank you Ms. Magily." The judge said slowly with sad eyes. Tears were just pouring from my eyes, I couldn't help it. I kept grinding my teeth as well, so I wouldn't hurdle the stand and go strangle the murderer staring at me across the room.

"Well we'll take a 5 minute recess to let our jury make their decision."

I got up and walked shakily back to my seat where Rin was laying down on a bed next to the table.

"Hey buddy" I said through my blurry eyes filled with tears still, "how are ya' doin'?" he lifted his head and smiled at me through his eyes, he licked my hand. Same old Rin, just now with three legs and retired at 5 years old. The minutes rushed by and the jury shuffled back in.

"We have reached a verdict your honor," said the juror that they had picked, "25 years to life."


	3. Chapter 3

"What?!" I shouted, "You can't do that! A boy is dead, and my best friend was shot, and has one short of four legs!"

"Officer Magily I'm sorry for your loss as a teen, and I'm sorry now, but that's their verdict." The judge told me like I was a little kid.

"No! That's not good enough, killing someone and a shooting a police officer should be the death penalty!" I shouted angrily.

"Josh was eighteen so he wasn't a minor anymore. We did find the drugs at his house and in his system, so he wouldn't been convicted anyway. And Rin is still alive isn't he?"

"What is this? If this is what you call justice you can count me out! Josh may have been 18 but that doesn't mean that he didn't have a life to live just like the rest of us! And Rin doesn't even get to live a life anymore!" I screamed sharply.

"Officer Magily," the judge said sternly, "don't you think you're taking this out of proportion? You're talking about Rin as if he's not here alive, none the least, in this room."

"Me? You're from Kansas City, you see this kind of stuff all the time, well not here, this wasn't supposed to happen! And Rin, don't act like you know him, he loved his job, he might as well been killed that day!" I was furious. Brian, not even 10 yards away. I could kill him now, I had my gun. Tears soaked the floor. I didn't have to look I just knew.

"He will be given to a nice home I promise Ms. Madeline." The judge said looking at Rin.

"And life will continue on just like normal huh?! Is that what you think will happen?! That I'll just get a new best friend and life will be care free and cheery in the God forsaken small town as it once was!? No! You're wrong, it won't happen, I won't let it! As long as he's alive!" I yelled violently pointing at Brian. And at that moment I knew what I had to do. I looked at Rin, who had looked up to see why I was so troubled. He even tried to get up but he wasn't used to having one of his front paws not being there. He immediately fell back down. I felt a pang of hurt surge through my heart to my mind. I must do it now.

I soared across the room to where Brian was standing, and then faster before anyone could do or say anything I pulled out my gun and put it to his head.

"Anybody moves, I blow his brains." I said slowly and quietly, mostly for Brian to hear.

"Madeline?! What on earth are you doing?!" the judge yelled at me.

"Matching up justice with its dictionary definition." I said quietly again.

"Two wrongs don't make a right! You of all people should know that!" the judge said back.

"Two wrongs make it even judge, you of all people should know that." I said, and them more to myself "I can still see his eyes..the look..of terror..pain… confusion…and peace. All I ever wanted was that peace, and the justice that my dad and sister never got." I said softy as I looked Brian right in the eye. "Why should you get the peace of walls and community service huh? Answer me that Brian."

"I'm sorry" he said tacitly, "I'm so sorry." That was all he could say, and looked down at the floor.

"Don't say sorry to me" I said pointing to Rin, "You took away the only thing he loved to do, the only thing he woke up for. He lived for his job and now he lives to die a crippled, a nothing, I won't let the world have more of your kind of people in it."

"I…can't tell you how sorry I am." He stammered, fear in his eyes now, bravery out the window.

"Yea well I can't either." I said as he closed his eyes tight, waiting for me to pull the trigger. Rin barked, and after hearing his light voice, it all hit me like a tidal wave. My dad, my sister, Josh, and Rin, all dead to me, my whole life. I dropped to the floor and hugged my knees, and started rocking back and forth, hanging my head. I may have signed up to be in the army, and I may have signed up to be a cop, but that didn't mean that killing someone came as easily as a signature. I didn't think I would actually have to kill anyone, it was supposed to be a small town.

They carried me to the back of Ferrent's car uncuffed. Deloja didn't have the heart to cuff me, knowing I was harmless because of who I was, his friend. We headed, after that, to the looney bin in Kansas City. I was trapped inside my head for two hours, poor Ferrent tried talking to me, but I was so deep in myself I couldn't hear the meaning of his words.

After the car ride and we stepped out into the sunlight the rest was all a blur, I got checked in, changed into unfamiliar clothes and walked into a white room. Sad faces looked at me through the glass, and after what felt like hours, they waved and slowly walked away. And as I sat there all I could see was Josh lifeless body on the ground, and my dad and sister's long lost memory car crash running through my head, the memory I had tried so hard to forget. I lost my best friend 2 days ago, the gap that he had filled, empty again.

I slid down the padded wall into a corner bringing my knees close to my chest. Breathing in and out and rocking was all I could do to calm myself to keep the unwanted pictures out. But Rin's face kept coming back. I pictured my whole life and what it could've been and now is lost. One last thought entered my mind before it was lost for forever.

"Life is like a song, you listen and it's gone." I laughed aloud.


End file.
